Mechanical musical instrument



No. 62|,289. Patented Mar.l I4, |899. W. H. ROLLINS. MECHANICAL MUSICA-LINSTRUMENT.

(A pplicxtion led Sept. 2, 1896.)

(No Model.)

TH: Nonms PETERS 50 vauro-umn., wAsmNoYoN. n.

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I UNITED STATES- PATENT v OFF-ion.-

-S WILLIAM HERBERT ROLLINS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,289, dated March14, 1899.

Application filed September 2,1896. Serial No. 604,633. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HERBERT RoL- LINs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Stat-e ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMechanical Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make andusethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toiigures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to mechanical musical instruments employing aperforated trav cling sheet to control divers mechanisms by whichsound-notes are produced.

My improvements relate to the control of the perforated sheet and tomechanism governing the operation of the two drums about 4which saidsheet is alternately wound and unwound. l

The object of my invention is to exert tension on the paper sheet whenthis element is producing sound-notes or when passing from thedelivery-roll, and said tension is to be imparted by reverse motion ofsaid delivery-roll. Thus by a 'positive control of said roll too rapiddelivery of the sheet when passing over the tracker-board is prevented.

By means of my improvements the various devices heretofore employed tomaintain proper contact of the sheet upon the trackerboard and toproduce a drag upon the sheet may be dispensed with.

The drawings herewith presented represent in Figure l a front elevation,in part, of a mechanical musical instrument equipped with one form ofmechanism embodying my invention and a modification of that in Figs. 2and Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of thearrangement in Fig. 2 and likewise of mechanism for carrying out myinvention.

In the said drawings I haveshown only so much of a mechanical musicalinstrument as is suliicient to explain my invention, it being understoodthat no changes occurin the gen eral construction of the instrumen-t,and, furthermore, that my improvements maybe applied to any form or typeof apparatus in which a perforated traveling music-sheet is employed.

In the present instance I have shown in Figs. l and 3 the case at Z-,ihedelivery-roll at 3, the receiving-roll at 4, and the paper sheet at 5.This latter cooperates with the tracker board 6, perforated withape1tures,wl1ichreceive air passing therethrough to the airvalves.

In the present mode of operation reference is had more especially toFig. 3,where the receiving-roll 4 or that about which the perforatedsheet is wound during the performance of a sheet of music is positivelycontrolled by a gear or toothed wheel '7, operated by a pinion 8,adjustably aiiixed upon a shaft 9 to some prime motor such as is usuallyemployed in instruments of this class.

I-Ieretofore various devices have been in service to press the sheetupon the trackerboard and thus serve as a drag; but so far as myknowledge goes nothing has ever before been employed to control theunwinding of the sheet from the delivery-roll itself by imparting tosaid4 roll a positive rotation in a direction reverse to the directionof rotation of the receiving-roll and causing an intermission orsuspension of such rotation of the deliveryroll when a certain degree oftension is producedin thenote-sheet. Bymyarrangement I avoid the use ofall intermediary mechanism heretofore made use of between the deliveryand receiving rolls and at the same time control positively the rotationof the said delivery-roll. In this way I secure two importantresults-iirst, the retention of the sheet in a most eiiicient mannerupon the tracker-board, and,` secondly, I obviate any excess in the rateof rotation of the deliveryroll whereby the m usic-sheet is unwoundfaster than it is wound upon the receivingroll.

To carry lout my improvements and yet adapt my invention to the usualform of construction undcr instruments of this class, I mount a drum orgrooved wheel 12 loosely upon the shaft 9 of the receiving-roll, while asecondary wheel 13 is made fast to the shaft of the delivery-roll. Aspring 1st, the tension of which is readily controlled, is made fast tothe shaft 0 and bears against the wheel 12, while a flexible band 15interconnects the two wheels. Thus it is evident that rotation of theshaft to cause the sheet to be coiled about the receiving-roll occasionsreverse rotation of the delivery-roll, which is positively controlled bythe belt, together with the cooperating wheels 12 13 andthe spring 1i.As before stated, this element can be regulated to vary the differencein the rate of revolution between the two rolls.

In the operation of the music-sheet and in order to carryout myinvention a certain degree of tension is to be exerted upon themnsic-sheet as it is unwound from the deliveryroll, and this tension isproduced, preferably, by allowing the wheels 12 or 13, as the case maybe, to slip under the pressure of the frietion device. It is evidentthat the drag upon the slieet is controlled and regulated by thespring-tension and that both rolls are simultaneously operated andpositively regulated in their movements both during the unwinding or therewinding of said music-sheet.

In order to return the sheet to the deliveryroll after the performanceof a piece of music, a clutch 1G, fast upon the shaft Q, but mounted forsliding movement and operated by a lever 19, is fitted with rods or pins17, which engage in the wheel 12. This clutch is interconnected with thepinion S by means of a sleeve. IIence engagement of the clutch with thewheel 12 interconnects the latter positively with the shaft il, whilethe roll 4 is released. Continuous movement of the shaft now reversesthe movement of the sheet and causes it to return tothe delivery-roll 3in readiness for a repetition of the piece, if it is so desired, or forremoval if a different piece is to be performed.

In Fig. 1 it will be seen that the wheel 12 is fast upon the shaft 9,while the wheel 13 is frictionally secured to the shaft of thedelivery-roll by an adjustable spring 14s. 'This frictional engagementparticularly described comprises a sleeve-shaft 20, on which is madefast the wheel 13, while the spring i-t' is affixed to said sleev 2O andbears with its free end on the delivery-roll shaft. A cross-belt 15serves to impart a reverse rotation of said roll with respect to thereceiving-roll. The tension of the spring 14: is easily adjusted bymeans of the screw 1S, located in the free end thereof, the oppositefixed end being made fast to the sleeve ofthe wheel 13. This latterarrangement is a slight modification of that shown in Figs. 2 and 3; buteither a direct or a cross belt I consider embodies my invention, whichconsists in the means claimed for the control ofthe delivery-roll fromthe main shaft of the instrument, so as to produce a retardation of saiddelivery-roll and cause a drag upon the note-sheet.

1. In a mechanical musicalinstrument, the combination with adelivery-roll, of a receiving-roll, means for driving saidreceiving-roll, connections between said receiving-roh and saiddelivery-roll to impartapositive rotation to the latter in a directionreverse to that of the receiving-roll and thus produce a drag upon thenote-sheet, and means forintermitting the reverse rotation of saiddelivery-roll and permitting it to rotate in the saine direction as thereceiving-roll when the dragon the note-sheet produces a certain degreeof tension.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with arccei\f'ing-roll, of means for rotating said roll, a delivery-roll,means for positively rotating said delivery-roll in a direction reverseto the direction of the receiving-roll to produce a drag upon thenotesheet, and means for causing intermission of the reverse rotation ofsaid delivery-roll and permitting forward rotation thereof when apredetermined tension or drag has been produced on the note-sheet.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument the combination with amusic-sheet, a trackerboard, and delivery and receiving rolls, ofapparatus arranged to impart simultaneous rotation to said rolls, anddrag mechanism adapted to create resistance to the rotation of thedelivery-roll and thereby produce tension upon the music-sheet, asspecified.

et. The combination with a delivery-roll, a receiving-roll, and amusic-sheet ada-pted to be coiled and nncoilcd about said rolls, of atracker-board, a driving-shaft for the receiving-roll, a wheel affixedto the shaft of the delivery-roll, a loose wheel upon the drivingshaft,a fiexible band to connect the two wheels, and a friction device, as aspring, to produce retardation of the delivery-roll, substantially asdescribed.

5. In combination with a tracker-board, a traveling music -sheet, areceiving-roll, an actuating-shaft, interconnecting gears to impartrotation to said receiving-roll, and a loose wheel frietionallyconnected with said shaft, of a delivery-roll, its supl'iorting-shaft, awheel fast thereon, a band to connect the fast and loose wheels, and aclutch to engage the loose wheel, whereby the actuating-shaft and thedelivery-roll are positively interconnected for rewinding of the sheetabout the said delivery-roll, substantially as set forth and explained.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM HERBERT RO'LLINS.

Witnesses:

H. E. Lonen, FRANCIS C. S'rnivwoon.

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